Reed Smith has been awarded Best Commodity/Trade Finance Law Firm by the Trade Finance Awards for Excellence 2010.

The results of the annual awards, run by Trade Finance magazine, are derived from a poll where people around the world are able to vote online for their selected institution over a six week period.

Reed Smith’s energy, trade & commodities group is described as having ‘an enviable client base’ and ‘some of the most highly regarded commodity trading lawyers around’.

Notable partner mentions include: London based commodity trading specialists Kyri Evagora, Diane Galloway, Richard Swinburn, Robert Parson (trade finance partner), John Varholy and Sian Fellows (specialists in power, gas and emissions trading who joined the team earlier this year), Mike Brown and David Grimes (based in the US) and Andrew Brown in Asia.

Kyri Evagora, partner and head of the Reed Smith Energy, Trade & Commodities Group commented:

“We enjoyed our most successful year ever in 2009, namely down to our expansion in London and across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US. The growth of the group this year has been driven by client demand as they broaden the products they trade and pursue aggressive strategies towards vertical integration.

We’re extremely proud of this award and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our clients who voted favorably and also congratulate the team.”

ENDS

Note to Editors:

About Reed Smith

Reed Smith is one of the 15 largest law firms in the world, with 22 offices and nearly 1,600 lawyers in offices across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the United States.

For further information please visit www.reedsmith.com or contact Jeyda Star (senior branding & communications executive) on +44 (0)20 3116 2571.